Tottenham’s greatest wins v Manchester City – Drama in Europe, FA Cup and the Premier League
Thomas Frank faces a tough test when Tottenham travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City on Saturday.
Frank made a dream start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs beat Burnley 3-0 on Saturday, 16 August.
Mohammed Kudus starred, providing two assists for Richarlison, while Brennan Johnson rounded off the scoring for the hosts.
It was the perfect start to the Premier League season. However, Frank’s next test is a much tougher one, as Tottenham travel to Manchester City on 23 August.
Pep Guardiola’s side made an equally impressive start to the season by beating Wolves 4-0 at Molineux on Saturday, with Tijjani Reijnders demonstrating his immense quality on his Premier League debut.
However, the Lilywhites have been something of a bogey side for Manchester City down the years, with Tottenham News taking a look at the North London outfit’s greatest wins against the Cityzens.
5. Manchester City 0 – 4 Tottenham Hotspur (23 November, 2024)
Ange Postecoglou will always be remembered at Tottenham for winning the UEFA Europa League. However, Spurs’ Premier League form under the Australian was largely horrendous.
The Lilywhites finished 17th in the 2024/25 campaign after suffering 22 league defeats. As a result, it felt as though Daniel Levy had no choice but to sack Postecoglou.
However, for all of his struggles in the English top flight, Postecoglou did record a memorable victory in Manchester.
Early on into the 2024/25 season, Spurs put four past Guardiola’s side without reply, with James Maddison grabbing a brace in the first half, before Pedro Porro struck early in the second, and Brennan Johnson rounded off the scoring in stoppage time.
After what was such a sensational performance, it is incredible that Spurs would go on to finish just one spot above the relegation zone in the same season.
4. Tottenham 3 – 2 Manchester City (14 May, 1981)
One of the two Tottenham wins on this list which was not against a City side managed by Guardiola.
In 1981, Spurs faced City in an FA Cup final replay at Wembley. Former Argentina international and Tottenham legend Ricky Villa opened the scoring in London, before Steve MacKenzie and Kevin Reeves both scored to put the Blues ahead.
Garth Crooks equalised in the 70th minute for Spurs, and with the game heading to extra-time, Villa grabbed his second, dribbling through the entire City team to score one of the most famous goals in FA Cup history and win the trophy for Tottenham.
3. Manchester City 0 – 1 Tottenham (5 May, 2010)
In the 2009/10 season, Harry Redknapp guided Tottenham to the UEFA Champions League for the first time, and their qualification for the tournament was sealed against, you guessed it – Manchester City.
On perhaps Spurs’ most famous night in the Premier League at the Etihad, Peter Crouch stepped up and headed Spurs in front with eight minutes left to play.
It was a huge goal and a huge moment in Tottenham history. However, that night will perhaps always be remembered more famously for David Bentley tipping a bucket of water over his manager after full-time.
2. Tottenham 1 – 0 Manchester City (9 April, 2019)
Son Heung-min departed Tottenham after a decade in North London this summer after winning the UEFA Europa League, his crowning moment in a Spurs shirt.
However, as well as lifting that trophy as Tottenham captain, the South Korean enjoyed a few other memorable nights in Europe, particularly during the 2018/19 season, when the Lilywhites reached the Champions League final.
Son scored some big goals in Spurs’ run to Madrid, including the first European goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which came in the first leg of the quarter-final against Manchester City.
When Tottenham were drawn against Guardiola’s side in the last eight, not many people gave them a chance. However, a Hugo Lloris penalty save and Son strike later, and Spurs were travelling to Manchester with a one-goal advantage.
And in iconic fashion, after opening the scoring in North London on that night, Son looked into the camera and said, ‘Do you know who I am?’ after Guardiola had famously referred to Tottenham as ‘the Harry Kane team’.
1. Manchester City 4 – 3 Tottenham (17 April, 2019)
While this wasn’t technically a win on the night, it’s safe to say most Spurs fans would probably call this their greatest victory against Manchester City.
One week after Son asked if Guardiola knew who he was, he made sure the Spaniard never forgot his name.
In arguably one of the greatest Champions League matches in history, Son scored a brace, which was instrumental in sending Tottenham to the semi-final of the Champions League.
While Tottenham arrived in Manchester with a one-goal lead, many still had the hosts as favourites to qualify, and it looked as though that would be the case as Raheem Sterling cancelled out Spurs’ advantage with just a matter of minutes on the clock.
However, Son responded with a brace, and after 10 minutes, Tottenham had a two-goal cushion on aggregate. City hit back a minute later, though, scoring through Ilkay Gundogan, while Sterling added his second after 21 minutes to level the score on aggregate and round off perhaps the craziest 17 minutes in Champions League history.
Sergio Aguero put City ahead in the tie for the first time in the second half, before Fernando Llorente made it 4-4 on aggregate in the 73rd minute.
Spurs’ place in the final four was booked, thanks to away goals – a rule which would later be scrapped.
However, there was time for one more bit of drama. With seconds to play, Sterling netted for his hat-trick to send the Etihad into bedlam and break Tottenham hearts – or so they thought.
Instead, it was the City fans who were left crestfallen as VAR made one of its first major interventions, judging that Aguero was offside in the buildup and ruling out the goal, in what is now one of the most famous sequences in the history of the Champions League.
In the end, despite losing on the night and drawing on aggregate, it was Tottenham who booked their place in the semi-final and ultimately claimed victory that night.
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